Influence of electron irradiation on mechanical properties of epoxy polymers

Abstract

The effect of different absorbed doses of electron irradiation with the energy of 12 MeV and heat treatment on the mechanical properties of ED-20 epoxy-dianic resin with hardener PEPA (11, 12 and 13 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of epoxy resin) was investigated. Heat treatment of irradiated epoxy resin samples was performed in two modes: before or after electron irradiation. It is shown that the optimal choice of the content of hardener PEPA and using electron irradiation with the energy of 12 MeV in the integrated combination with heat treatment allow significantly improve the mechanical properties of epoxy-dianic resin. It was established that for the content of the hardener 12 parts by weight and absorbed doses of 10–20 kGy, the boundary of strength increases in 3 times, and additional heat treatment both before and after irradiation reduces this figure through the thermal destruction. Only for the content of hardener 11 and 13 parts by weight and these absorbed doses heat treatment of irradiated samples of epoxy resin leads to an increase in the boundary of strength. In doing so, the hardness increases regardless of the content of hardener for the absorbed doses greater than 50 kGy.